STOCKTON, Calif. -- Following the uncertainty of the 2020-21 altered season, the Pacific women's soccer team is excited to get back on schedule as the fall season officially kicks off on Friday, August 20th at Knoles Field.

After a shortened season that saw Pacific finished 1-8-3 this past spring, the Tigers are ready for a full season on the pitch as they look to build around the plans of interim co-head coaches Danesha Adams and J.J. Wozniak. Last year, UOP finished eighth in the West Coast Conference (WCC) standings, the highest finish for the program since 2013. Recently, the Tigers participated in an exhibition match to get their legs fresh with a 2-1 double overtime victory over the UC Davis Aggies last Saturday. 

The first match of the season will be a home contest against the Nevada Wolfpack on Aug. 20 followed by another home game two days later with the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos. These will be the first non-conference matchups for the Tigers since they played California Baptist in Riverside on October 2019. 

Subsequently, the Tigers will venture east for two games at the Boise State Tournament, including a matchup with the host Boise State Broncos on Aug. 29. Notably, Pacific's conference slate begins on Oct. 2 as the Tigers travel south to Los Angeles seeking consecutive victories against Loyola Marymount. Notably, UOP will host 2020 NCAA National Champion Santa Clara on Oct. 6 at Knoles Field.

Overall, Pacific will return forward Ryanne Molenaar, who led the team with five points last spring while also starting in all 12 matches. Additionally, she will also be joined goalkeeper Brenna Crump, who also started every match of the shortened season while also tallying a .701 save percentage. 

Following her selection to the 2020-21 All-WCC Women's Soccer Second Team, midfielder Jaida Nyby will look to build on her strong sophomore season in which she recorded two goals as a starter in all 12 games for the Tigers. Defensively, Kelsey Oen will be a key part of the Tiger back line after finishing second on the team in minutes played during the shortened season. Overall, Oen totaled four points and two goals during the spring, including netting the game-winner against LMU on Apr. 3.

In the offseason, the coaching staff was active in seeking new talent which included adding a six-player class looking to make an immediate impact in Stockton. In total, these six include: Ariana Gronauer, Aniela Jensen, Alex Machado, Aly Milford, Reid Morrison (transfer from Houston) and Jessica So.

The 2021 regular season for Pacific will conclude at Knoles Field with a matchup against the Portland Pilots on Nov. 6.

For more information on the Pacific Women's Soccer, be sure to follow the program on Twitter and Instagram at @PacificWSoccer and on Facebook @PacificWomen'sSoccer.